Hermione and Ron: Through the Years
by Rockin-Actress27
Summary: A collection of short stories involving their friendship, and eventually their relationship, during and after their years at Hogwarts.
1. Year One

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. His world belongs to the fabulous JK Rowling. **

Year One

Hermione fiddled with the hem of her shirt.  
"Mum, what are we going to do?" She turned to her parents, who were looking at the wall separating platforms 9 and 10.  
"I don't know, Hermione. We will figure it out though. This is exactly why we left early, in case of any problems." Her mother replied.  
"Excuse me, but are you lost?" An elderly woman with a large hat and handbag had approached them. Behind her stood a pudgy boy holding a toad with trunks similar to Hermione's.  
"No, we are fine. Thank you." Hermione's father answered. The woman glanced around.  
"Are you for Hogwarts?" She whispered.  
"Yes!" Hermione answered eagerly. The woman smiled.  
"My grandson, Neville, is a first year too. To get to Platform 9 and ¾, you must take a run at the wall. It's quite simple, really. You can watch Neville and I, and then follow us." She smiled warmly.  
"Are you sure?" Mr. Granger asked, unsure.  
"Just watch." The woman turned to her grandson. "Come along, Neville." The boy clutched his toad in one hand, and pushed the trolley with the other. He clumsily trotted, with his grandmother briskly walking in front of him. They were just about to hit the wall when they vanished.  
"Bloody hell…" Mr. Granger muttered.  
"Are you ready?" Hermione asked her parents, eagerly. She tightened her grip on her trolley and began running towards the wall with her parents. She noticed her parent's hesitation just before the wall, but she blazed on and suddenly, a scarlet train was just ahead of her. A sign said "Platform 9 and 3/4". Hermione grinned. She had done it; she was on her way to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

* * *

Hermione quickly stood up and left the compartment, hoping she hadn't made a complete fool of herself in front of the cute red-haired boy named Ron Weasley, and the famous Harry Potter.  
"Alright, Neville. You take that side of the train and I will take the other side." She instructed. Neville only nodded. As Hermione went down each compartment, she couldn't help but let her mind drift back to Ron and Harry. She had attended Parkwell Academy for Girls before being accepted to Hogwarts, so she had never dealt with boys before. And Ron was definitely the cutest boy she had ever seen. Harry had seemed really nice too. _Maybe making friends won't be as hard as I thought! _She thought.

* * *

As she left, Ron thought that he had never met a more annoying know-it-all in his life, and he lived with Percy. As Harry and him begrudgingly changed into their robes, he hoped that he wouldn't be put into the same house as the annoying Hermione Granger.

* * *

_Dear Mum and Dad,  
__My first week of classes are done. Everything is going well. I'm having a lot of fun._

Hermione stopped writing. She hated lying to her parents. Her first week at Hogwarts was not going to plan. Yes, her classes were great, but she was having a very difficult time making friends. Even now, she sat in the girl's dormitory alone. She thought she would be able to make friends easily, because she was really intelligent. That's how she made all her old friends at Parkwell Academy, but at Hogwarts, it seemed like people didn't like that she was smart. Her only sort-of friend was Neville, and that was because, like Hermione, no one really liked him. She had hoped to become friends with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, but they seemed to especially dislike her. She tried to forget that she thought Ron was cute, and it was usually pretty easy with how busy she was with homework. She sighed and put her quill down. There was no point writing to her parents, when she had nothing to tell them.

* * *

"It's no wonder no one can stand her. She's a nightmare, honestly." Ron told Harry as they walked out of class. Hermione bumped into Harry as she hurried away, head down, trying to cover the tears escaping her eyes.  
"I think she heard you." Harry said, weakly. Ron's stomach dropped.  
"So? She must've noticed she's got no friends." He said, a guilty knot forming in his stomach that only tightened as the day went on and he noticed Hermione was absent from class. He wanted to ask Harry about it, but he didn't want to seem worried about her. When Parvati mentioned that Hermione had been crying in the girl's bathroom all day long, the knot tightened even more. Even the fantastic Halloween meal couldn't take his mind off of it.

* * *

Hermione wiped her nose for the hundredth time. _ I hate him. I hate him so much. _She thought. She had, like Parvati was telling everyone, been in the bathroom all day. She couldn't show her face, not after what Ron had said. When she heard him complaining about her, it was the final straw. She couldn't do it anymore. She was leaving tomorrow. She didn't belong here. Maybe she could learn magic at home, by herself. She was just about to leave and talk to Professor Dumbledore, when a foul stench filled her nose. She turned around, and her heart almost stopped. Before her, stood, what she could only guess was, a troll. He stared stupidly around the room, before his eyes feel on her. He took one step towards her, and she let out a terrified scream. That only confused the troll, and he swung his giant arms around, knocking out a sink. Hermione fell down, covering her face from the falling sink pieces. Her heart was pounding as he took another step forward. She seemed to be paralyzed with fear. Then, suddenly, Ron and Harry were standing across the room. She couldn't hear what Harry yelled to Ron, but Ron grabbed the tap from the broken sink and began hitting it on the wall. The troll became confused, and lumbered away from Hermione and towards the boys. He turned towards Ron after he threw a pipe at it, and Harry was able to run around the troll.

When Hermione went to bed that night, she smiled. It was a rough beginning, but she knew that tonight changed everything between her, Harry and Ron. And she was very, very grateful for that ugly troll.

* * *

As Ron skimmed another ancient book from the library, Hermione rushed around, piling more books on the table.  
"We aren't going to be able to go through all of these tonight, especially since Harry is at Quidditch practice." He told her.  
"I know, but I want to write their title's down anyway, for future reference." She explained, dropping a leather-bound book on to the pile.  
"We have been trying to find who Flamel is for months. I can't believe we haven't found a trace of him in any of these books." Complained Ron.  
"Maybe if you and Harry had actually cracked open a book during Christmas Break, we would have." Snapped Hermione. Ron rolled his eyes.  
"We had better things to do."  
"Then stop complaining. There has to be something in one of these books, I'm sure of it." It was quiet as they both read. When Ron finished skimming his book, he closed it and rubbed his eyes.  
"I am done for the night."  
"No you aren't. There are two other books you can read before we leave." Hermione said, without even looking up from her book.  
"My eyes are tired."  
"Really, Ron. You were just complaining about not finding out who Flamel is, but you won't help find out?"  
"I want to help, but I'm not going to read three books in one night!"  
"Fine, then you can always study for exams."  
"Who are you? My mother?" Hermione's head shot up, her brown eyes narrowed.  
"I am just trying to help you, Ron. You don't need to be such a prick."  
"Oh, I'm the prick? Really, because I'm not the one telling people what to do."  
"I'm not telling you what to do! I'm suggesting that you study for exams! They are a lot closer than you think!"  
"Not hardly, Hermione. You're probably the only one who has even thought about them."  
"Well, I'm sorry for being a good student and preparing for exams that will determine if we can actually come back here next year!" She said, in a huff.  
"Oh, give me a break. Do you honestly think you aren't going to come back here next year?"  
"If I fail my exams, they won't let me!" Her eyes bright; she was clearly very worried about this. Ron sighed.  
"Hermione, you are the best in class. There is no way you are going to fail any of your exams. You are too good of a student for that to happen." Her eyes softened.  
"You really think that?"  
"Of course! Why do you think Harry and I ask you for help so much?" He said, with a smirk. She laughed.  
"I suppose you're right." She looked back down at the book, and then suddenly closed it.  
"Will you teach me how to play wizard's chess?" She asked. Ron grinned.  
"Sure. But I'm warning you, you aren't going to beat me."

* * *

Ron watched Hermione pace back and forth in front of the fire, as Harry ran up the steps to the boy's dormitory.  
"What are we doing? We must be mad." She muttered.  
"Obviously." Ron shook his head. Hermione stopped her pacing and looked at Ron.  
"You don't think that Snape will… try to_ kill_ Harry, do you?" She asked, eyes large with fright. Ron's face was grim.  
"We won't let that happen." He said, fiercely. Hermione's heart did a flip, as Harry ran back down the steps, with the cloak and flute.

* * *

"Ron! Ron, please wake up! Oh!" Hermione cried. She had already checked his head wound, and cleaned some of the blood away. She reached for her wand, racking her brain for any charm that would help her. "Aguamenti!" She pointed her wand at Ron's face. A jet of water streamed out of the tip and sprayed all over his face. He quickly reacted, and jumped up.  
"Hermione!" He yelled.  
"I'm sorry! I didn't know what else to do!" Ron held a hand up, his face suddenly very pale.  
"Just… shush. I think I'm going to be sick." The sudden movement had quickly caught up with him. There was silence as Ron waited for the sickness to fade.  
"Where's Harry?" He asked, realizing his best friend wasn't there.  
"On the other side, I suspect, with Snape. Only one person could continue. We have to go now, and warn Dumbledore. Are you ok?"  
"Yes, I'm fine." He tried to stand up, but he was too weak to do it alone.  
"Put an arm around me." Hermione instructed. After a few awkward moments, they finally were able to make it across the room, through the key room, and up the trapdoor, by Hermione using a spell she had read in one of her many books. They scrambled by Fluffy, and by then Ron was already feeling stronger, so they were able to run back to the main staircase, just when Dumbledore came flying down the stairs.  
"Harry's gone after him, hasn't he?" Before they could even answer, he was off.  
"What do we do now?" Ron asked.  
"I'm taking you to Madam Pomfrey. I did the best I could with your head wound, but it still needs attention." They set off for the medical wing, at a much slower pace.  
"I hope Harry's alright." Hermione muttered.  
"Me too." Ron said, grimly.  
"You were really brave, during the chess game." Complimented Hermione. Ron blushed.  
"Thanks. It was like any other chess game, though. Any wizard could do it."  
"But would any wizard risk their life so we could continue on?"  
That only made Ron blush harder.  
"I had to do it." He mumbled, avoiding her gaze.  
"I know. But thanks, all the same." There was a moment of silence, before Ron said,  
"You're welcome."

* * *

Ron watched Harry walk off to join his Aunt and Uncle. Hermione had just spotted her parents, and was gathering her luggage.  
"Bye, Ron. You better write this summer." She said. He laughed.  
"Fat chance. Maybe you and Harry can visit though, later."  
"Maybe." She said, with a smile.  
"Ron! Say goodbye to your girlfriend, and let's go!" Fred yelled. Ron's ears turned red, as Hermione's cheeks blushed.  
"Bye." Ron mumbled. He grabbed his trunk and left, before Hermione could say goodbye back.

* * *

**A few notes:**

**1) ****If you have any scenes you want me to specifically do/discuss for future chapters, let me know!**

******2) ****Any feedback you have is fantastic. I haven't wrote anything for awhile and would love any and all criticisms**

******3) ****Ron and Hermione are the best :)**


	2. Year Two

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. His world belongs to the fabulous JK Rowling.**

Year Two

_Dear Ron,  
__I hope your summer is going well! Have you been very busy? I have. I looked at the homework we were assigned for over the summer, and nearly fainted! Naturally, I started on it right away.  
__My parents surprised me with a trip to Ireland last week though, and that was rather fascinating. I tried to learn more about Irish wizards, but it seems they are very similar to British wizards.  
__Have you heard from Harry at all? I wrote him almost a week ago and he hasn't replied yet. I hope his aunt and uncle aren't being too terrible to him.  
__Hope to see you soon!  
__Love, Hermione_

Hermione had fretted for an hour if writing "Love, Hermione" was an appropriate thing to do, or not.

* * *

_Dear Hermione,  
__My summer has been fine. We haven't done anything very exciting, just cleaning and visiting my Mum's family.  
__Fred and George nearly gave Mum a heart attack last week. They blew out their window during one of their "experiments".  
__I haven't even touched my homework. I can't imagine why you have.  
__Don't worry about Harry. Fred, George and I are going to pick him up tomorrow night from his Aunt and Uncle's.  
__When are you going to Diagon Alley to pick up your school supplies?_

_-Ron_

_

* * *

_

Hermione waited for Harry and Ron to appear behind rest of the Weasley clan on Platform 9 and ¾, but they never did.  
"Hello, Mrs. Weasley! Hi, Ginny. Where are Ron and Harry?" She asked, approaching them.  
"Hello, Hermione! They should be right behind us!" Mrs. Weasley turned around. When she didn't see them, she began searching around the station.  
"Arthur! Harry and Ron aren't here!" The train's horn blew, signaling its departure.  
"Oh, dear. Hermione, Ginny, get on the train."  
"But what about the boys?" Hermione asked, grabbing Mrs. Weasley's hand.  
"Don't worry. We will find them." Hermione watched Mr. and Mrs. Weasley turn and run back across the barrier. She turned to Ginny.  
"Do you want to find a compartment with me?"  
"Sure." They searched the whole train, and the only compartment open was with Neville.  
"Hi, Neville." Hermione greeted warmly. "How was your summer break?"  
"It was horrible. I had to visit relatives." He said, petting his usually absent pet frog, Trevor.  
"Oh, I'm sure it wasn't that terrible." Said Hermione, trying to make the conversation less awkward.  
"It was. My Gran doesn't get along with any of them, but we had to visit them, because it was my Aunt's 50th birthday."  
"Oh, well I'm sorry."  
"It's alright. Say, where are Harry and Ron?" Hermione glanced at Ginny.  
"Erm… we don't actually know. They didn't get across the barrier, apparently."  
"Mum is going to kill Ron when she finds him." Said Ginny, with a small laugh.  
"This is Ginny, Ron's younger sister. Ginny, this is Neville. He's in our year." Introduced Hermione.  
"Nice to meet you." Neville said, and set Trevor down in order to shake Ginny's hand. The minute he was free, Trevor leaped off Neville's lap and hopped out of the compartment.  
"Trevor!" Neville and Hermione yelled, and they both jumped up to follow him.

* * *

Ron entered the trophy room, and found Filch and Mrs. Norris waiting for him, with a giant tube of wax and a large pile of rags.  
"Get to work." Filch instructed, with a nasty grin. "I better be able to see my face in them." Ron bit his tongue, grabbed a rag and went to work.  
He ignored Filch's nasty remarks as he worked. It was hard, but he just focused on the task. His mind did drift occasionally to a daydream of him playing for the Chudley Cannons and being the best Keeper in their history, but that was only a couple times throughout the night.  
When he had a small slug attack on a Special Award for Services to the School, Filch yelled at him until he was hoarse, but Ron just turned a deaf ear, which was extremely hard to do, and attempted to get the slime off the award.  
_Stupid Malfoy. If he hadn't opened his fat mouth and called Hermione a… I can't believe he called her that. Hermione is 10 times better than he ever will be. What gives him the right to be such an ass to her? Just because his family has money and is "pureblood". What rubbish. And Hermione didn't even know what that word meant! She needs to be more careful, especially around Malfoy. I don't want her to get hurt, because of that prick.  
_For rest of the night, Ron thought of all the tortures he could put Malfoy through, if he ever called Hermione that insulting word again.

* * *

Ron and Hermione left Harry in the hospital wing.  
"What an idiot." Ron muttered.  
"Who? Malfoy?"  
"Him too, but I was talking about Lockhart." Hermione's face flushed pink.  
"Professor Lockhart was doing what he thought was best." She said in a high-pitched voice.  
"Hermione! He removed Harry's _bones_. That didn't end up helping him at all!"  
"Well, I didn't see you trying to help Harry." Ron's mouth dropped.  
"What the bloody hell was I supposed to do? I'm not Madam Pomfrey, and neither is Lockhart. Just because he supposedly saved people's lives doesn't give him the right to be a moron."  
"He didn't _supposedly_ save people's lives, he did. Haven't you read his books?" Hermione's voice was becoming more shrilly.  
"Yes, I have actually." Hermione stopped in her tracks.  
"What?"  
"I read _Gadding with Ghouls_, after you told Lockhart you liked it so much. I wanted to see why. Didn't you see a lot of the loopholes in his story? It wasn't nearly as good as you or him made it seem." Hermione's face turned from an embarrassed pink to an angry red.  
"You're just jealous of Lockhart's accomplishments, so you would look for anything to make it seem like he didn't help all of those people." She turned on her heel and stalked away.  
"You are unbelievable, Hermione!" Ron cried as he followed after her. She ignored him and continued walking. They were both silent as they finished walking up to the Gryffindor common room. The room was packed with happy people, celebrating their win over Slytherin. Hermione stormed up to the common room, without saying goodnight to Ron.

* * *

Ron patiently waited for Hermione in the common room the next morning. She came down the stairs a few minutes later, and stopped at the bottom when she saw Ron.  
"We should get to work on the Polyjuice Potion." She said, crossing her arms.  
"Yea… I'm sorry for what I said yesterday."  
"It's going to be difficult to sneak in a caldron into the girl's bathroom." She said, walking over to Ron.  
"Aren't you-"  
"We'll have to make a stop in the student's supply cupboard first. Are you ready to go?" She asked.  
"Uh, yea. Can we get breakfast first?" Hermione gave a small smile.  
"Yes. Maybe we can stop in to see Harry too." Ron nodded and they left out the portrait hole.

* * *

Hermione looked up from her book when Ron entered the hospital wing. He was carrying a large pile of books, which he dropped near Hermione's bedside table.  
"I brought all of them. And your assignments from today."  
"Thank you. Where's Harry?"  
"Quidditch practice. It should be done soon."  
"Are people still calling him the Heir of Slytherin?" She asked, picking up one of Lockhart's books.  
"Yes, but it's not as bad as before. Malfoy is still being a prick. I was so sure it was him!"  
"I know, but at least we learned that it was opened 50 years ago. That narrows down a lot of possibilities." Ron sighed.  
"Your fur seems to be going away." He commented. Hermione put her head down in embarrassment.  
"I couldn't believe it when I looked down and saw fur covering my arms."  
"At least it's nice fur." Ron said, with a smile. Hermione looked up.  
"What?"  
"Well, you could have been stuck with ugly fur, like white. I don't like white cats, they freak me out." Hermione laughed.  
"You hate spiders and white cats. Good to know."  
"I don't like cats at all, but white cats especially."  
"I'll remember that."  
"Good. Well, I guess I should get back to the common room. We'll bring tomorrow's homework down after dinner tomorrow."  
"Thanks, Ron." Hermione smiled. Ron smiled back and left.

* * *

Ron and Harry sat in the crowded Gryffindor common room a week after Hermione was attacked.  
"Do you understand this Potions homework?" Ron asked. Harry shook his head, not taking his eyes of the book, but Ron noticed his eyes weren't moving over the pages.  
"Why Hermione?" Ron asked after another period of silence.  
"She's Muggle-born. That's the only reason." Harry said dully.  
"It's just… It's not fair. She's the best in our class! Who cares if she's Muggle-born-"  
"The Heir of Slytherin does, Ron." Harry sighed. "I'm going up to bed. I can't concentrate." He gathered all of his books and left.  
Ron closed his Potions book and laid his head down on the table. He couldn't tell Harry what he was really feeling. He missed Hermione a lot, and not just because she helped him with his homework. When he saw her lying on the hospital bed, his heart almost stopped.  
_Why anyone would want Hermione dead. She was smart, kind, independent, pretty…_ Ron sat up. Did he just… He looked around the room, like someone had overheard his thoughts. He gathered up the rest of his books and marched up to the dormitory. He didn't want to think about his new feelings for Hermione, when Harry and him had a monster to destroy.

* * *

_Bright lights. Soft mumbling. A warm hand on my cheek. A kind voice.  
_"Hermione. Can you hear me?" Hermione blinked many times before she was able to open her eyes and see Dumbledore's face above her own. In a hesitant and raspy voice, she asked,  
"What happened?" Dumbledore calmly explained the events that had unfolded while Hermione had been Petrified. During his speech, Hermione slowly gained more awareness of her surroundings and was able to see Professor Sprout brewing a simmering potion in the corner of the hospital wing.  
"Do you understand?" He asked at the end of his speech. Hermione nodded.  
"Where are Ron and Harry?" Hermione had a strong urge to see them.  
"They are on their way to the Great Hall for a special feast. You may join them once Madam Pomfrey says you are able." Madam Pomfrey walked over with a glass of water.  
"Drink this." She handed Hermione the glass, which she drank greedily.  
"When can I leave?" Hermione asked.  
"Goodness gracious dear, you just woke up from being Petrified! Surely you must be exhausted!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed.  
"No, I'm fine. Really. I want to see my friends." Hermione begged Madam Pomfrey for nearly ten minutes. Only after Hermione showed she could walk to the door and back, and took something that eased the stiffness in her bones, could she leave.  
Hermione flew down the stairs and into the Great Hall. The feast was already in full swing, and she saw Colin Creevey had already joined the Gryffindor table. She searched down the table for Harry and Ron, and linked eyes with Ron. He grinned, and Hermione's heart flipped as she smiled back at him. She ran down the aisle to them and swung her arms around Harry, before turning to Ron.  
"You solved it!" She exclaimed.  
"Only with your help." Explained Harry, smiling.  
"We missed you, Hermione." Ron's ears were burning red when he said this, but his smile was genuine. Hermione's smile couldn't get any bigger.

* * *

**1) I will try to get the next chapter up soon!**

**2) Reviews and suggestions are appreciated! **


	3. Year Three

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. His world belongs to the fabulous JK Rowling.**

**

* * *

**

Ron went bouncing down the stairs, and nearly ran into Hermione at the bottom.  
"Ron!" She said, hugging him tightly.  
"Hello, Hermione!" He greeted. When they broke apart, they both grinned at each other awkwardly.  
"Have you seen Harry yet?" Hermione asked, breaking the silence.  
"No, but Tom said he's been out since breakfast."  
"Excellent, let's go find him!" Ron told his mum where they were going, and they left the Leaky Cauldron.  
"How was France?" asked Ron, as they walked down the cheery streets of Diagon Alley.  
"Oh, it was fabulous! I learned so much about French wizards and their culture! I hope to go back another time and take a visit to one of their schools." She took a pause. "And how was Egypt? I bet you learned a lot about Egyptian wizards! They are fascinating, from what I've read in books."  
"It was amazing! You would have loved it. We went into enchanted tombs, and took a visit to the largest wizarding community in Cairo. It made Diagon Alley look like a village." Hermione's eyes were wide.  
"Sounds fantastic! I will have to add it to my list of places to visit after Hogwarts."  
"Do you want some ice cream?" asked Ron, suddenly.  
"Oh, sure! That sounds great." They walked into Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. As they waited in the long line, Hermione looked at the choice of ice cream flavors.  
"I think chocolate raspberry-nut sounds delicious!" she decided. Ron nodded. When they reached the front of the line, Ron stepped in front of Hermione and ordered two chocolate raspberry-nut cones. When Florean handed them their cones, they walked back out into the bright alley.  
"Ron, you didn't have to buy me a cone." Said Hermione, her face blushed.  
"I wanted to." He said with a shrug, but his ears were red.  
"Well, thank you."  
"You're welcome." They smiled at each other, and then Ron saw a boy with black, messy hair down the street.  
"Harry!" He yelled.

* * *

Hermione threw her bookbag onto her bed. She was fuming, and didn't care that two of her books fell off her bed.  
"_You just don't like being bad at something for a change!" _Ron's words cut through her again.  
"That arse." She mumbled under her breath, picking up the books. Ever since Crookshanks attacked Scabbers before term started, Ron had been more on edge with her. It drove her mad when he acted like a prick to her, and blew up over the stupidest things. She rubbed her forehead and sighed. It was going to be a long day, if Ron kept up his attitude.

* * *

Ron marched over to his bed and sat, holding the shaking Scabbers.  
"That bloody cat. If Hermione can't control him, I'll kill him." He said, furious at more than just Crookshanks.  
For some reason, his temper was unusually short with Hermione lately. He couldn't explain why, but he did know that her damn cat wasn't helping the situation. He sat Scabbers down on the bed, and began undressing for bed.  
"I don't understand why she likes that cat so much anyway." He spoke out loud, to no one but Scabbers. "I even told her that I hate cats last year. And what does she do? She buys a damn cat." He roughly shut his trunk. "I can't believe I actually missed her over the summer." He mumbled, before climbing into bed. He ignored the guilt he felt immediately after he said that.

* * *

Ron and Hermione walked the streets of Hogsmeade, in awe of the shops and people surrounding them.  
"I wish Harry was here to see this!" exclaimed Ron.  
"Where do you want to go first?" Hermione asked.  
"I've heard The Three Broomsticks is great." Hermione nodded, and they walked down the street until the reached the cheery-looking pub. It was packed of students and adults.  
"We're going to have a hard time finding a table." Ron searched around, finally spotting a small booth in the corner of the pub.  
"I'll go order some drinks." Said Ron, taking his coat off. Hermione nodded, rubbing her hands together. While he was gone, she searched around the pub, noticing a few of their friends at different tables. She even saw Hagrid sitting with Professor Flitwick and another fellow.  
"I ordered you a Butterbeer. They're the best drink here!" Ron came back with two frothing mugs of an amber colored drink. Hermione took a sip of it and instantly felt warmer.  
"This is delicious!" She exclaimed. There was silence as they drank their Butterbeers.  
"What do you want to do after this?" Hermione broke the silence.  
"Oh… um. Zonko's Joke Shop is awesome, according to Fred and George. Wanna go there?"  
"That sounds fine." Another awkward silence fell over them.  
"Is Scabbers better?" Hermione asked hesitantly, not wanting to start a fight.  
"Yea, he's fine." Muttered Ron, staring intensely into his drink.  
"That's good." Ron nodded. They were silent until Ron finally stood up.  
"Well, let's head off to Zonko's, eh?" He said, scratching the back of his head.  
"Yea, ok." Grabbing her bag, she followed Ron out of The Three Broomsticks, wondering why Ron must make everything so bloody awkward.

* * *

"You don't think that Harry is going to go after Black, do you?" Hermione asked, a few minutes after Harry left the common room for the boy's dormitory. Ron looked up from his Charms book.  
"He's not that thick."  
"I know… but with what he heard today, I'm just afraid that he's going to do something irrational and dangerous." Ron frowned.  
"Harry wouldn't do that. He knows that Black isn't worth dying for."  
"To us, Black isn't. But to Harry… he might be." Hermione said thoughtfully.  
"I'm telling you, he's not that thick."  
"Put yourself in his shoes, Ronald. What would you do?" Hermione asked sharply.  
"What's with your tone? You don't need to snap at me." He replied huffily, turning back to his book.  
"I'm just trying to talk to you about Harry! We should talk to him about this, before he does something he's going to regret." Ron sighed.  
"I'll go see if he's still up." He left the table for the boy's dormitory.

* * *

Hermione sat in a far corner of the library, silently crying. Christmas Break had just ended, and she still wasn't talking with Harry and Ron. She remembered how she felt back in her first year when they weren't talking, but this was even worse. She wiped away her tears and got back to work, but her heart wasn't in it.  
She had left Crookshanks in her dormitory since the incident on Christmas morning, but that hadn't made Ron any less mad at her.  
It probably didn't help that she told Professor McGonagall about Harry's Firebolt.  
_But Black could have sent it! He wants Harry dead, so an enchanted broomstick might help him achieve that goal! _She thought to herself for the thousandth time. _But was it worth this?  
_She tried not admitting it to herself that it hurt more that Ron was so mad at her. Yes, her friendship with Harry was very dear to her, and she missed chatting with him a lot, but… She didn't understand why Ron blew everything out of proportion like he did! He drove her absolutely mental with his mood swings. After the first awkward trip to Hogsmeade she thought maybe he was nervous around her, because maybe he liked her. She sighed, thinking how foolish she had been. After this past week, she was positive that Ron did _not_ like her, especially since he told her to piss off after Professor McGonagall took Harry's Firebolt.  
She put her quill down, trying as hard as she could not to think about that infuriating red- haired boy she _used_ to call a friend.

* * *

Ron kicked his trunk, which only resulted in a hurting big toe.  
"Fuck." He muttered, falling on his bed. He rubbed his toe, and looked at the blood stained sheets at the foot of his bed. He had just left the common room, after an intense fight with Hermione.  
_Her damn cat killed Scabbers. And she doesn't even care! I swear if I ever see that thing again, I'll kill it with my bare hands._ _And there's no way I'm ever speaking with Hermione again. Not until she apologizes. She has become more moody and annoying this year. Everything she does just sets me off. I can't bloody stand it. First, she buys that monster. Then, she squeals about the Firebolt. And now her damn cat kills Scabbers!  
_Ron got up and put his pajamas on, still fuming. When Harry came up, Ron was just getting into bed.  
"Hermione's pretty upset." Ron snorted.  
"Not as upset as Scabbers is." He mumbled. Harry looked at him with an eyebrow raised.  
"That doesn't make any sense, Ron."  
"I don't care. She can be as upset as she wants. It's not going to change the fact that her bloody cat killed Scabbers. Honestly, I don't know what happened to Hermione."  
"What? Nothing has happened to Hermione, other than the fact that you just screamed at her for half an hour."  
"She's… different! I don't know how to describe it! She gets on my nerves all the time. She just has to be so damn annoying." He rolled over, so he didn't have to face Harry.  
"Mate, Hermione is the same. Maybe you're the one who's changed." Ron whipped around, and saw Harry leave the dormitory.  
"I have _not_ changed!" He yelled. But deep down, he knew that he was just being stupid.

"Hermione?" Ginny poked her head into the 3rd year girl's dormitory.  
"Please, Ginny. Go away." Hermione was crawled up into a ball on her bed. Ginny ignored Hermione's request and walked over to her.  
"Hermione, my brother is an idiot. Don't listen to him."  
"It's rather hard when he yells at me in front of the entire common room." She mumbled. Ginny sighed.  
"Maybe he's acting like this, because he likes you." Hermione looked at her like she was crazy.  
"Ginny, that's impossible."  
"Maybe not. Maybe he's just confused, and the only way he can ignore his feelings is…"  
"Is by being a prick to me? Sounds promising."  
"I'm serious! It's very possible!" Hermione sat up.  
"Look, Ginny. It doesn't matter if he likes me or not, because I don't like him! I rather detest him, actually." She said, but no matter how hard she tried, her face blushed pink.  
"Right. And my hair isn't red." Ginny said. "Look, just… try to ignore him right now. I'm pretty sure he's been PMSing for the past 6 months. And, if ignoring doesn't work, just hex him. That's what I always did when growing up. Granted, I couldn't _really_ hex him. But I did inflate his nose one time, when he broke my toy broomstick." Hermione laughed.  
"Thanks, Ginny. I think I'm just going to go to bed now."  
"Alright. See you at breakfast."  
"Maybe. I might just skip…"  
"Hermione, you can't skip meals in order to not see Ron! I'm meeting you in the common room at 8, and we're going to breakfast together. Alright?" Ginny gave her a look that left Hermione no choice but to agree.

* * *

"Oh! This is good! Write this down!" Ron shoved another book in Hermione's face. They were researching hippogriff trials in the library, in hopes to help Buckbeak's case.  
"Calm down, Ron! I can only write so fast!"  
"Sorry…" He muttered, turning back to another book. Hermione tried to hide a grin. Ever since they started talking again, Ron had been much more apologetic than before. He had been helping her a great deal with her research. He was helping so much, that she felt they had a pretty good case for Buckbeak.  
"Thanks again, Ron. For all your help." She said, putting her quill down.  
"It's nothing. I'll do anything to help Buckbeak win."  
"I'm pretty sure with all the research you're doing, he's going to." She smiled at him warmly. Ron looked up and smiled back.  
"Excellent." Hermione blushed a faint pink and went back to writing notes. Ron, on the other hand, continued looking at Hermione.  
"Um… Hermione. I just want to say… sorry. For being a prick."  
"Oh." She looked up, slightly in shock. "It's ok. I'm sorry that Crookshanks ate Scabbers. I haven't let him out of my dormitory since then."  
"That's ok, Hermione. He was old."  
"Still-"  
"Don't worry about it. Let's get back to researching…" Ron got up from the table to search for another book. Hermione watched him leave, and was very, very grateful that they were talking again.

* * *

Ron turned to Hermione after Harry walked away over to his family.  
"Would you be interested in going to the World Cup too?" He asked. Hermione's face lit up.  
"Of course! That sounds brilliant!" Ron grinned.  
"Excellent! I'll write to you when Dad gets the tickets. It should be a great match."  
"Sounds great." Ron spotted his Mum and Dad entering through the barrier.  
"Well, I better leave. See you soon?"  
"Definitely." There was an awkward moment before Hermione threw her arms around Ron.  
"I'm truly glad that we're friends." She said. Ron, in utter shock, was able to mumble,  
"Um, yea. Me too, Hermione." She let go and quickly walked away, before he saw her bright red face.

* * *

**1) Sorry if you get slightly confused with the order of the stories... but if you remember from POA, Ron has extreme mood-swings. :P**

**2) The next chapter might take some time, but I will do my best :)**

**3) To everyone that has reviewed/favorited/alerted this story so far, THANK YOU. It is greatly appreciated :)**


	4. Year Four

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. His world belongs to the fabulous JK Rowling.**

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* * *

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Year Four

"Are you packed? Mr. Weasley will be here soon." Hermione's mum walked into her bedroom.  
"Mostly. I'm waiting for one load of laundry to finish."  
"Alright. Your father and I are leaving then. Have a fun time, and be safe." She gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek, and they hugged.  
"Thanks, Mum. I will. Have a fun time visiting Nana and Papa. Send them my love."  
"Always do." She gave Hermione one last smile before leaving the room. Sighing, Hermione sat back down on her bed. She still felt bad for going to the Burrow the last couple of weeks of summer break, even though her parents had assured her it was fine. Crookshanks hopped on her bed, purring.  
"I bet Ron will be thrilled to see you again." She said. At the mention of Ron, her heart sped, in a way that had become normal over the summer. She had been writing Ron all summer, and every time Pig arrived with a letter, she ran to her room to read it in secret. Eventually her mum asked her what was going on, and Hermione finally admitted that she might have feelings for one of her best friends. Her mum laughed and told her to go read her letter. Hermione didn't know what to think of that reaction, but ever since, whenever Ron and Harry were brought up, her mum smiled knowingly at Hermione.  
She heard the buzzer go off on the dryer, and she went to get her clothes. By the time she had brought her truck downstairs, Mr. Weasley, and to her surprise, Ron, were stepping out of the Granger's fireplace.  
"Hello, Hermione! Sorry we're a bit late. Had to wait for your fireplace to be put on the Floo Network!" Mr. Weasley explained cheerfully, looking around her home with great interest.  
"Oh, I just finished packing, so it's fine." She said,  
"Do you mind if I check out your kitchen?" Mr. Weasley said, walking into the kitchen.  
"Erm, sure!" She replied, acutely aware that Ron and her were alone in the room. He seemed to have grown even taller over the summer, and his hair was even redder. They stood awkwardly in silence for a few moments.  
"How are you?" He asked finally, hands in his pockets.  
"Brilliant. You?" He shrugged.  
"Good. It's been a bit mental at home. Percy just started working at the Ministry, and Bill and Charlie are home now."  
"Oh, that's good. Does Percy enjoy-"  
"Muggle kitchens have always fascinated me! Are you ready to leave? We have to pick up Harry soon, so we need to get back to the Burrow!" Mr. Weasley walked back into the living room, with a grin on his face.  
"Yes! Let me grab Crookshanks." She ran upstairs to her room, and grabbed Crookshanks off her bed. When she was back downstairs, her trunk was gone and Ron was standing in her living room, alone.  
"Dad took the trunk back with him. I told him I would wait for you."  
"Oh, right. Well, ready to go then?" Hermione said, gripping Crookshanks tighter in preparation for the travel.  
"Yea." He took out a pouch from his pocket, and just before he threw the contents in the fireplace, he turned to Hermione and said,  
"I'm glad you're coming to the World Cup with us." His face was blushing, and Hermione could feel her face grow hot as she smiled.  
"Thanks. I'm glad too." Ron smiled, and threw the Floo Powder into the fire.  
"The Burrow!"

* * *

Ron pulled the covers over his head and tried to erase the images from his mind that he saw tonight. It made him sick, remembering the Death Eaters and the tortured Muggles.  
_What if that was Hermione? _He thought. _What if they had captured Hermione and tortured her, because she's Muggle born?_ A hot flare of anger grew in his chest. _I will never let that happen. Never.  
_Something had changed between Hermione and him over the summer; even he couldn't deny that. The days leading up to her arrival at the Burrow, he grew more anxious. Fred and George hadn't left him alone about it, because they had guessed, correctly, that his moodiness stemmed from Hermione. When he said he would accompany his dad to pick Hermione up, Fred and George asked if he had asked Hermione to be his girlfriend yet.  
He heard Harry turn over in his bed and he thought, for the hundredth time that summer, what Harry would think if he found out about Ron's feelings for Hermione. His fear of Harry's disapproval kept Ron from telling Harry anything. Would he feel betrayed? Would he feel left out? Or would he be thrilled, like Ron hoped?

* * *

Harry pushed all of his school supplies into his bag and rushed out of the common room, with Sirius's letter still clutched in his hand.  
"I still don't get what he's going on about." Ron mumbled, turning back to his homework.  
"Oh, Ron." Hermione rolled her eyes. "You can be really thick sometimes."  
"What? No, I can't!"  
"He's worried about Sirius! He doesn't want Sirius to get caught; he would think it would be all his fault.""But it wouldn't be."  
"Obviously, because Sirius is a grown man and he can make his own decisions. But Harry will blame himself, because he told Sirius about his nightmare, which is why Sirius is flying north." Ron stared dumbly at his homework, processing this.  
"I guess in a way Harry would be to blame…"  
"You are unbelievable!" Hermione exclaimed, throwing her quill down. "It would not be Harry's fault at all. And you better not tell Harry that it would be!"  
"I'm not that much of an idiot. Give me some credit." He said, gathering his things.  
"Are you going up too, then?"  
"Might as well. I'm rubbish at Divination without Harry to help me."  
"I can try-"  
"Night, Hermione." Ron left before she could finish her offer.

* * *

Hermione had to run after Ron, who had marched out of the Great Hall as soon as Dumbledore dismissed them from the Halloween Feast.  
"Ron! What was that all about?" She asked when she had finally caught up with him.  
"Nothing." He grumbled. His face was tight with anger.  
"Then why did you run away?" Ron ignored her. "Ron! Don't ignore me. What's wrong?"  
"I told you. Nothing." By this time they had reached Gryffindor Tower.  
"Oooh, you're the first ones to get back from the feast. Who are the champions?" The Fat Lady asked.  
"Cedric Diggory and Harry." Hermione answered. Ron's face grew even darker at the mention of his best friend.  
"Balderdash." Ron gritted out. The Fat Lady gave him a quizzical look, but opened up the portrait hole. When they were in the common room, Ron started to go straight to the boy's dormitory but Hermione stopped him.  
"Ron, tell me now what is wrong." Ron kept his back to Hermione, but replied in a spiteful tone.  
"Make sure you wish Harry a congratulations for me." Hermione raised an eyebrow.  
"That's why you're angry? Because Harry's name was called? Ron, there has to be an explanation for this! Didn't you see Harry's face? He doesn't want this!" Ron whipped around.  
"Like hell he doesn't! He's the perfect Harry Potter who gets all the attention, because he defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named! Now, he'll the be brave Harry Potter who competed in the Triwizard Tournament at 14 years old! And we'll always just be Harry Potter's best mates." The jealousy in his voice shocked Hermione.  
"Ronald! Listen to yourself! You are talking nonsense!" Just then, Seamus and Dean entered through the portrait hole.  
"It's great about Harry, isn't it? I wonder how he did it?" Seamus said, cheerfully. Ron made a disgusted noise and left.  
"What's his deal?" Dean asked.  
"Nothing." Hermione answered, feeling torn.

* * *

"Is this true?" Ron marched up to Hermione in the common room, holding a Daily Prophet in his hand.  
"What?" Hermione asked, looking up from her Charms homework.  
"In the article about Harry, it says that you two are dating." Hermione was taken back from this.  
"You can't be serious, Ron." She answered. "Harry and I are just friends! Why would you believe that rubbish Rita Skeeter wrote? You know she's just an old crackpot. If Harry and I were dating, wouldn't you be the first to know? And we wouldn't date anyway, because we _are just friends._"  
"Oh." He said sheepishly. "Right." He set the paper down and scratched his head awkwardly.  
"Well, I better go do some homework. See ya later." Hermione watched Ron leave, utterly confused.

* * *

"You could have joined Harry and I at the Three Broomsticks today." Hermione told Ron.  
"I didn't see Harry with you." Ron muttered.  
"He was under his Invisiblity Cloak, so Rita Skeeter wouldn't pester him." She replied huffily.  
"Oh. Well, I was having a grand time with Fred, George and Lee."  
"I see. It would have been nice though."  
"Hermione, stop it already. I'm getting sick of you trying to get me to forgive him. He's a lying twat, and I don't want anything to do with him." Hermione had had enough. She picked up her Transfiguration book and hit Ron in the arm with it.  
"Ow! That hurt!"  
"Good! Because I am getting sick and tired of this! He is _not_ a lying twat, and you miss him! Don't deny it! And he misses you too! I wish you two would grow up and start talking again!" She yelled, causing a scene in the common room.  
"Seriously, Ron. Stop acting like such an arse." Fred said from the fireplace. Ron glared daggers at his brother.

* * *

"Bloody hell." Ron muttered as he watched Harry land.  
"C'mon! Let's go congratulate him!" Hermione exclaimed, her face lit up with pride.  
"No… I don't think so."  
"Ron! Please tell me you aren't still mad at him!" Ron looked down at Harry, who had just entered the medic tent.  
"Let's go. He needs his best friends right now." Hermione's eyes swelled with tears.  
"Oh, Ron!" She threw her arms around him for a quick hug, and then they pushed their way through the crowd.

* * *

"Hi, Hermione!" Ginny greeted her on the way to the girl's dormitories.  
"Your brother is the biggest pile of dragon poo I have ever met!" Hermione proclaimed. Ginny stopped.  
"Biggest pile of dragon poo? That's the best insult you can come up with?"  
"Yes! I can't- he's just so-" She let out a scream of frustration.  
"Calm down! What's wrong?"  
"He is only interested in asking a girl to The Yule Ball if she's _good-looking_. He doesn't even care if she's the least intelligent girl ever! As long as she's attractive, he'll ask her! How more shallow can he get?" Ginny looked at Hermione with a smirk on her face.  
"He hasn't asked you yet?" Hermione stiffened.  
"No. And I would tell him no, if he did." Ginny laughed.  
"Right." Hermione sighed. Ginny knew her too well.  
"I would say no _now_, because I would be his last resort. I wanted to be his first choice."  
"I know the feeling." Ginny said, sadly.  
"Harry is the second biggest pile of dragon poo, since he didn't ask you." Ginny gave her a small smile.  
"Thanks. I'm sure we'll both find dates. If not… it doesn't really matter."  
"You're right!" Hermione said, feeling empowered. "We can stay in the common room that night and have fun! We can read and play wizard's chess and… other stuff!" Ginny laughed.  
"Sounds like a load of fun."

* * *

Neville stopped Hermione outside the library the next day.  
"Hi Hermione." He said eagerly.  
"Hello Neville. How are you?"  
"Fine, just fine. I was wondering if you were going to go to the Yule Ball." Hermione felt her heart drop; she knew where this conversation was going.  
"Oh, yes. Yes, I am." Neville's face lit up.  
"Well, I was also wondering if you had a date yet, and if you don't if you'd… well, I would understand if you said no, but I was still hoping that maybe you would say yes, because I would consider it to be a great pleasure if you would maybe, possibly, accompany me to the Yule Ball. As my date." He spurted out. Hermione stared at him for a moment, unsure of how to answer.  
"I'm sorry, Neville. But I'm afraid I'm going to have to say no, but thank you for your offer. It's just… well, I have another-"  
"Oh, I see. You have a date already. That's fine, no hard feelings. Well, I hope you have a brilliant day, Hermione and I will see you later." Neville's face was red with embarrassment and he walked away before Hermione could apologize. She sighed and turned around, only to come face-to-face with Viktor Krum.  
"Oh!" She exclaimed.  
"Good morning, Herm-own-ninny. I vas vondering if I could spare a moment of your time." He said in his thick accent.  
"Oh, yes. I suppose." She replied breathlessly. She had never noticed how long his eyelashes were…  
"Do you haff a date to the Yule Ball?"  
"I don't…"  
"It would be an honor if you vould be my date." He said, taking her petite hand in one of his own. Hermione thought of Ron briefly, before she remembered he only wanted to ask a pretty girl to the dance. She gave Viktor a bright smile and replied with a simple,  
"I would love to."

* * *

Ron stayed in front of the fireplace in the common room after Harry went up to the dormitory. Only Lee and George were down there, but they were sitting in a far corner, with their heads bent in discussion. Ron didn't want to go to bed yet; he couldn't get the picture of Hermione and Viktor together out of his head. When he first saw her come into the Great Hall on the arm of Viktor Krum, he thought his heart was going to beat out of his chest. He had never felt more disappointed, angry or depressed in his whole life. There, Hermione was, looking more beautiful than she ever had, but she wasn't with him. She was with who _used_ to be his idol. Now, he couldn't even bear to speak of that Bulgarian.  
"_Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!" _Hermione's last words to him were on repeat in his head. Of course he had wanted to ask Hermione to the ball… but he feared her rejection and what everyone would have said, especially Harry.  
He rubbed his eyes and glanced into the fire. He was an idiot, and he knew it, but it didn't make the situation any easier.

* * *

"..and he said he had never felt like this about anyone." Hermione said grimly. It was the evening after the second task, and her and Ginny were sitting on Hermione's bed. Hermione was telling Ginny that Viktor had asked her to visit him in Bulgaria that summer, and he had confessed his true feelings for her.  
"Wow. What did you say?" asked Ginny.  
"I didn't… I kind of smiled at him, and then went to see how Harry and Ron were doing."  
"You didn't say anything to him?"  
"Later, he brought it up again in the library… I told him I would think about it. I wasn't sure if my parents would allow me. Which is true, they will probably say no. But, I also don't know if I want to." She admitted.  
"Because of Ron?" Hermione had to smile at Ginny's honesty.  
"He is one of the reasons, yes. But I also don't feel the same way Viktor feels for me. I feel that I am leading him on." Ginny thought about that for a minute.  
"Well, then I would tell him that. Let him know that you just want to be friends." Hermione frowned.  
"I don't want to hurt him, but I know it's what I have to do…" Ginny gave her an encouraging smile.

* * *

Hermione didn't even notice she was tapping her foot until Ron stepped lightly on it.  
"He's going to be fine. Don't worry." He said, looking down at her with a small smile. She gave him a weak smile back, but her nerves were still running rampant. She had just watched one of her best friends enter the final task of the Triwizard Tournament, and she had to fight the urge to run and help him. She knew Ron was fighting the same urge, and it was comforting to have him standing next to her.  
As the hour's passed, and each red flare went up, her heart jumped into her throat. But when she saw Fleur and Viktor's unconscious bodies carried out of the maze, she was able to relax for a minute, and then the fear would return.  
"Look at Dumbledore." Ron muttered in her ear. She glanced at Dumbledore, and was shocked to see that he looked more nervous than normal.  
"I think they should have been back by now…" Ron said in a tight voice. Hermione gulped and reached for Ron's hand. She could feel him tense up as her fingers slipped in between his, but he didn't pull away.  
Hermione was considering leaving the stands to talk to Dumbledore, when a loud _crack!_ sounded through the night. Hermione looked around for where the sound had came from, but Ron was able to spot it before she.  
"Fucking hell... Hermione, don't look." He stepped in front of her.  
"Ron! What's going on?" She tried to step around him, but he wouldn't let her.  
"It's Harry. He's here."  
"Ron! Let me see! Now!" She stomped her foot on his and was able to move quickly in front of him. She gasped at the sight down in front of the maze. Harry was lying on the ground, with the Cup in one hand... and his other arm was wrapped around Cedric Diggory's body.

* * *

Ron was surprised to find the common room empty when Hermione and him got back from visiting Harry in the hospital wing. Ron walked over to the fireplace and leaned against the wall unable to comprehend everything that had happened in the last few hours.  
"Ron?" Hermione walked up behind him. He turned around and saw tears streaming down her face. "I'm terrified." She whispered. Ron reached for her and they fell into a tight hug. Hermione sobbed into his chest, and Ron tried valiantly not to cry, but in the end he sobbed just as hard as she did.

* * *

Ron slipped a piece of paper into Hermione's hand,.  
"Read this later." He muttered, before he ran over to his family.  
She looked at it quizzically, but stuffed it in her pocket.  
When she got home and had unpacked, she opened the paper to read,

_Hermione,_

_My mum told me before they left after the Tournament that our family is going to be living at Sirius's old home this summer, because that's the headquarters of The Order of the Phoenix. She said she would explain more when we get there, but she invited you to stay with us. Harry can't, for reasons we'll understand later. I'll send Pig to you when I get home, so you can send back your response._

_-Ron_

_

* * *

_**1) I REALLY like this chapter. It took me almost two weeks to get around to writing it, but once I started, I couldn't stop! I hope you guys like it as much as I do :)  
****2) Sorry if there's more grammatical errors... in my excitement to finish and post this, I might not have done the best editing. I promise to do better next chapter!  
****3) I'm going to back to school in the next few days, so I'm not sure when chapter 5 will be published, but I hope soon!  
****4) I hope everyone had a GREAT holiday break!  
****5) THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS/ALERTS/FAVORITES. It means SO much. :D**


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